


Ready as I'll ever be!

by Ryani



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25110862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryani/pseuds/Ryani
Summary: Y/N wanted to live in a Castle her whole life. So when Corona is in need of a new Handmaiden for the Princess, she travelled there as soon as she could. While working there, she meets many interesting people (especially one certain alchemist) and enjoys her new life. Unbeknownst to her, she will soon face a threat that could be able to destroy everything in her life, and will have to make decisions that may change everything.The story plays after the events of the Tangled Series, but before the Ever After Short.
Relationships: Varian (Disney)/Reader
Comments: 17
Kudos: 30





	1. Entering Corona

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfiction made purely for entertainment purposes, written for fun. I do not own any of the given cannon Characters, places or references, and any similarities to real life are purely coincidental. English is not my first language, so I am sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors. This is the first Fanfiction i ever wrote, I hope you enjoy it.

I entered the gate and looked at the busy and crowded streets. Some people were hastily walking from one side of the street to the other, while others were strolling through it slowly, sometimes stopping at one of the shops. A fresh breeze, carrying the smell of freshly baked bread, made me remember how I hadn't eaten breakfast because of how nervous I had been this morning. After a moment of enjoying the view, I took a deep breath and started walking again, my head up high and looking at my ultimate destination: The castle of Corona. It was larger than I had imagined it, but nonetheless absolutely beautiful.

After I memorized the impression of the huge castle, I began looking around again, trying to remember as many impressions of Corona as possible. I looked at the citizens, all of them seemed friendly and welcoming. A few of them looked at me and greeted me with a warm smile while I was making my way to the castle. When I arrived at the bottom of the enormous stairway, I turned around, once more looking up at the busy main street before I climbed the stairs and entered the castle.

My eyes needed a moment to adjust to the difference in lighting. While it was a beautiful, warm and sunny day outside, in the castle it was a bit cooler, but not to cold, and definitely a bit darker. I felt a sudden shiver of excitement running down my spine and I couldn't help but smile. It looked just like I had imagined it, the warm colored carpets on the floor giving a contrast to the simple stone walls. I looked along the hallway and started thinking about how many of those beautiful flower vases that were placed every few meters could be spread around the castle, when suddenly, the voice of a woman interrupted my train of thoughts. 

“Could you get out of the way? Some people in here are busy working.” “Oh, sorry, I didn't see you” I replied while turning around and stepping aside. The lady was old and made a stern facial expression while carrying a huge bucket of laundry surprisingly effortless. She wore a light blue, formal but yet simple gown and a matching headpiece. She mustered me for a moment, then she walked past me without saying another word. Just as she went around a corner, I remembered where I was and what I was doing here. And that I had no idea were I needed to go. “Excuse me?” I yelled before starting to hurry after her, but I didn't get an answer. When I entered the hallway, no one was there except for a guard.

I walked towards him and my curious stare must have caught his attention, because just as I came up to him, he asked me who I was and what I was doing here. “I am Y/N and I'm here to fill the position of a handmaiden” I answered in a shy tone. The guard mustered me just like the old lady before, then he turned to me. “Follow me please, I will guide you to the throne room. There you will be able to speak to the King and Queen.” My heart started beating faster when I heard this. Of course, I knew that I had to speak to someone, but I didn't expected it to be the King and Queen themselves. “I don't understand” I replied. “If you get hired, you will be put in duty of the Princess, so they want to make sure you meet their expectations” he told me while he started guiding me through seemingly endless amounts of small corridors, moving toward a winged door with the sun emblem on it. I looked around and tried to remember as many things as I could, so that if they wouldn't hire me, I knew my way out and didn't have to ask again for help.

Only when we arrived at the door, he spoke to me again. “This is the throne room, the King and Queen are right inside. Just enter.” “Thank you” I said. Then I turned around, moving towards the door, putting my hand up to knock, and, feeling my heart pounding in my chest and trying to breath easy, slowly knocked on the door. A deep voice responded, “Come in.” I took one last deep breath, told myself it would all be okay, then I finally opened the door and entered the room.


	2. In the Throne Room

I stood in the room, looking around in awe. The throne room was mostly held in light, warm colors, embracing each ray of sunshine entering through the enormous windows on each side. I let my eyes wander the large room, looking at the tapestries and the banquet tables on the side, stepping a few steps forward in the process. I couldn't believe my eyes and a small gasp escaped my lips. Guards were standing on the sides of each entrance to the throne room, looking straight forward. Then, my gaze fell onto the to three thrones in the front of the room.

While the middle one, which was a bit smaller than the others, was empty, the other two were not. I looked at the two persons in front of me, each of them dressed in noble and fancy garments, wearing crowns. The King and Queen of Corona. I snapped out of my thoughts, cleared my throat, and, stepping a few more steps forward, bowed to them. I kept my head low, and waited for one of them to speak. I had learned that you should never raise your voice first when speaking to royalty. Then, the same deep voice that invited me in when I stood outside, started to speak.

“ You stand before the King and Queen of Corona. What is your desire?” As I kept my head low, I introduced myself: “My name is Y/N. I come from a small village on the outskirts of Corona, yet to be named. And I am here to fill the position of a handmaiden. I wrote a letter and I was told to come to the Castle to introduce myself personally. I am honored to meet you in person, your majesties.” I waited a few moments and bit my lip. Nobody was saying anything. Did I do something wrong? After what seemed like an eternity, a soft, female voice responded: “Welcome Y/N, I am glad you came here. We were awaiting you already. Lift up your head and come closer, my dear.” I looked up, and, to my surprise, saw the King and Queen smiling at me. 

I stepped forward, looking at them and a shy smile started to form on my lips. “It seems like you are the most qualified to fill the position. And it looks like you know your way around the proper etiquette as well. Therefore, we are happy to tell you that you are welcomed to the castle of Corona as the newest handmaiden in the service of the royal family.” As the King said this, he smiled warmly at me. I stood there with wide opened eyes, and could feel my jaw dropping, but I managed to pull myself together. 

“Ben here will guide you to your room. But first, we need to introduce you to someone” he continued. “Phillip, get Rapunzel here”. Both of the guards on the left oft the King bowed, one left the room through the door they were guarding, the other one came up to me, smiled and told me he would wait outside for me. I managed to nod and I felt my heart beating faster again. After I had already met the King and Queen, I was supposed to meet the princess as well? She was well known all across the seven Kingdoms, as she saved Corona from the ancient evil demon sorceress, Zhan Tiri. 

The opening of the door interrupted my train of thoughts, and Phillip announced: “Your majesty, Princess Rapunzel of Corona”. A young lady, with rather short brown hair and big green eyes, wearing one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen, entered the room, a wide smile on her face and coming straight up to me. She was probably not much older than I was, and I could see something adventurous in her eyes. 

“Hi Y/N, I am so happy to finally meet you. In your letter you sounded so nice! I am so glad that you are here.” I was startled by her greeting, as if we had been friends for a long time. But what wondered me the most was how she knew about my letter. She must have realized that I was confused by the look on my face, because before I could even say something, she said “Since you, as all the other applicants, are supposed to be my handmaiden, I was the one reading all of the application letters, and I was the one who invited you here.” This time, I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping. The princess herself wanted me to be her handmaiden! “Thank you, your majesty”, I stuttered, still processing what I just heard. 

“We will have so much fun together! And I hope we will be really good friends! And by the way, please just call me Rapunzel.” She smiled again and took my hands in hers. Suddenly, a wave of emotions came over me. Scenes flashed before my eyes, little chunks of important moments. Pictures of a dark brown haired man, long blonde hair, rays of sunlight, dark rocks, a black haired woman, a chameleon and much more. I shook my head a little, feeling slightly dizzy from the sudden burst of thoughts. “Is everything okay?” Rapunzel asked me. I replied “Yes, it was just a long day I guess” and forced myself to smile. 

“Well, I guess it is a very special day for you. Just take it easy. You won't start working until tomorrow, so it would be best to get to know your way around the castle and to get comfortable in your room.” As she said that, the Queen stood up and put her hands on Rapunzel's shoulders. “I guess you are right, your majesty” I replied. “I will be going then, Ben is already waiting outside”. “I will visit you later” Rapunzel told me. I smiled at her and nodded, then I made a small curtsy before turning around and leaving the room through the same door I entered it. Time to see my new room.


	3. Around the Royal Castle

After closing the door, I let out a sigh. I was still confused with all the images I saw, and I shook my head a little, as if those thoughts would fall out of my head and I could forget them. But I knew it wasn't possible to forget these things. Ben, the guard that waited for me, came up to me. “Are you alright?” He asked in a soft voice. “Yeah, just tired. It was a long journey, and I should probably rest a bit.” “I understand. I will guide you to your room. It is in the western wing of the castle, near the room of the princess” he explained and pointed in one direction. I simply nodded and he gestured me to follow him. Again, we passed many corridors and hallways, as the walk to my room was significantly longer than the one to the throne room.

When we finally arrived there, Ben turned to me and handed me a key. “This is the key to your room, and to your new life. Welcome to the Castle.” “Thank you” I answered. He bowed and and then turned around and walked away. I stood in front of the door, holding the cold, silvery key in my hand. “A new life” I thought to myself. “Let's see how it looks like.” I put the key into the keyhole and unlocked the door. 

The room was bigger than I expected and beautifully furnished. Two huge shelves on one side, and a large wardrobe on the other. A lot of the room was taken in by the rather enormous bed. It was stuffed with pillows in different colors and sizes, making it look very comfortable and inviting. A round, crimson red carpet laid flat on the floor, with small golden embroidery on the edge. Across the bed stood a Mannequin with the same light blue dress and matching headpiece that the old lady I had seen before wore. Right next to it stood a wooden mirror and a small chair. I looked at the suitcase in the corner that I send to Corona before the start of my journey. Time to unpack a few things.

I reached into my pocket and got out a small key, matching the lock of the suitcase. It unlocked with a click and I opened it to see the small amount of things I called my own, lying there the same way I put them in. I moved some clothes to the side and reached for a small wooden box. It had my name branded into it and was probably the most valuable thing I had in my possession. I slowly opened the box and pulled out a silver and golden necklace. The pendant was a a small and hollow sphere and held a dark purple crystal in its center. I let my fingers slide across the cold and smooth surface and tears started to form in my eyes. 

I remembered the day I got it. It was on my birthday, four years ago. My father made the box for it, but the necklace itself was from my mother. The last present I got from her before she died. I remembered how happy I was when I got it, and the smile on mothers face when she helped me put it on for the first time. It had been my mothers necklace before, but she decided she would give it to me because it might help me more, and she was right. I was calmer when I had the necklace, and I felt more secure, as if my mother was still watching over me. I slowly put it on, and as I felt the metal touch my skin, I was calmer at once. 

I wiped the tears in my eyes away and decided that now would be a good time to rest a bit. I stood up, just to let myself fall into the pillows on the bed a few moments later. The bed was so soft that I thought I would sink into it at first, just as you would do if you laid down on top of a cloud. I closed my eyes and thought about everything that happened today. I started smiling and thought about how living in a castle had been my dream since I was little. I nearly fell asleep, but then, somebody knocked at the door.

I opened my eyes and got up quickly. I looked in the mirror, trying to smooth some wrinkles that had formed on my clothes. I opened the door and looked into the same warm green eyes that had greeted me so warmly before. Rapunzel. “Hi Y/N, how are you feeling? I hope it is better now. I didn't wake you up, did I?” “Oh, no, you did not wake me up. I was just resting a bit, but I feel better now.” I answered. “That's great! I need to show you so many things in here: My room, the kitchen, the gallery, the dining hall, the laboratory, and so many more places. And you will meet so many people as well.” “Oh, okay. So, where will we start?” I asked her. Rapunzel started to smile. “I don't know. Where do you want to start?” “Probably something that is close. So maybe your room then?” “Alright, follow me” Rapunzel simply said and started walking. 

After a while, I started feeling exhausted. We had started in her room, where I promptly met her best friend Pascal, a chameleon, and after that, we went to the kitchen to eat something. Then came the library, the sun terrace, the stalls, in which I met a horse called Maximus that was “very special” according to Rapunzel, and the laundry room where I had met some other handmaidens I would work with. But Rapunzel was still in high spirits and full of energy. “Next is the dining hall, and after that, the laboratory.” she said and turned around to face me. “And I think that will be everything for today.” she added after seeing the exhaustion on my face. 

We entered the dining hall through a double winged door and were greeted by guards. “So this is the dining hall. Dinner's normally at seven, so we have a bit more time until then” Rapunzel explained after looking at a huge grandfather clock. I was six o'clock right now, so one more hour. In the middle of the dining hall stood a large table, with enough space for forty people to eat there at once, and on the table there were bowls with fruit and a few carafes full of water. I grabbed one of them and a small glass and started pouring in the water when the second door to the dining hall opened. 

A rather tall, slender but still muscular man with dark brown hair came in, only to stop at the table and look into his reflection in a silver plate and fixing his hair. I remembered him from the things I had seen when Rapunzel took my hands into hers this morning. He than faced the two of us. “There you are sunshine, I was searching the whole castle for you. I heard you were busy with showing the castle to the new handmaiden, so I wanted to give her a proper welcoming from the most handsome fellow in the castle.” “Eugene!” Rapunzel went up to the man and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. “May I introduce you, this is Y/N. Y/N, this is Eugene Fitzherbert, captain of the royal guard. And my fiance.” 

I nearly spit out what I had just drunken. This man seemed to be the complete opposite of the selfless and kind princess. He seemed really sure with himself, not to say kind of big-headed. But in his hazel eyes I could see his love for Rapunzel and a strong sense of justice. He looked from Rapunzel to me and smiled. “Welcome to the castle Y/N, if you ever have a problem you can come right up to me, and I will help you. But no need to be grateful, this is just what humble guys like me do, right?” I managed to nod and many things I wanted to respond came into my mind, but then Rapunzel put her hands on my back and shoved me in the direction of the door where Eugene came from. “I'm sorry Eugene, but we have to get going. I will see you later, okay?” “Yeah, yeah, make sure you're not late to our date” he answered and winked. Rapunzel smiled softly back at him, and with that, out the door we went.

After we left the room, Rapunzel looked at me. “Okay, now we are heading to the last place of today. The laboratory. It is fairly new and I have to warn you to be careful and not touch anything.” “Okay” I responded and we started to walk again. While we were walking, she told me about the alchemist that was working in the laboratory. From what she told me, he was somehow eccentric when it came to Alchemy, but he had his heart in the right spot and had proven himself to be a good friend and a huge help many times.   
We arrived at a door that looked strangely different from the other ones. It was black and made out of solid steel. I gave Rapunzel a questioning look. “The door is specially made so that it won't break when something reacts the wrong way or explodes.” “Explodes?” I repeated, maybe a little to loud, because the guards looked our way with questioning expressions on their faces. “Yeah, but it doesn't happen that often anymore.” “Anymore?” This time, I didn't say it out loud, I just thought it. Rapunzel knocked at the door. “Come on, it's time for you to meet Varian!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a bit longer than I expected. But there were just so many things to describe. I hope it is worth the read. Next time, we will finally meet Varian! Enjoy!


	4. Varian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it finally is. The (more or less) fateful meeting!  
> I am sorry it took such a long time, but my Computer kind of head a meltdown and I couldn't work on the story for some time. That said, now that everything is fixed (I hope), nothings stops the story from going on. Enjoy!

The door was not as heavy as it looked like, and such, easy to be opened. The moment we entered the room, we were greeted by a cloud of thick mist. It smelled like something sweet and fruity, but I couldn't make out what it was exactly. After walking through the cloud, we stood in front of what seemed to be the main working station. Many vials, flasks and bottles were spread all around the table, the shelves on the walls and even the floor, filled with various liquids in many different colors. Drawings with small notes and papers with lists of ingredients on them, were also spread all across the table, some pinned to the walls above it. In one corner, there was a huge appliance set up, were some liquids were getting mixed together, and the vapor of the reaction turned into the steam that greeted us at the door. A bit in the back of the laboratory, you could here quiet mumbling and the rustling of paper. A slim, shadowy figure seemed to scribble notes on a piece of parchment. 

“Varian!” Rapunzel called and I could see the figure making a small jump before looking up and walking towards us. “Hello Rapunzel, what brings me the honor of seeing you here?” His voice not as deep as I expected, but warm and calm. “I was showing our new handmaiden the castle, and wanted to introduce her to you” Rapunzel answered and gestured into my direction. The alchemist, or Varian, as Rapunzel called him, stepped into the light and closer towards me and I could finally see him completely. He was a bit taller than me, and, as it shadow foretold, rather slim. He was wearing mostly brown clothing, other than his shirt, which was more of a soft beige color. He also wore thick, seemingly heat resisted gloves and a pair of googles on his eyes. As he removed them, I looked into a pair of round, sky-blue eyes. But what mostly interested me was the teal colored streak that stood out of his otherwise nearly raven-black hair. 

He smiled widely as he took off his gloves and held his hand out. “Hi, I'm Varian. Nice to meet you.” I hesitantly took his hand, and for the fraction of a second, I could feel emotions that weren't mine come over me, but I quickly grabbed my necklace with my other hand and calmed down. I smiled shyly back at him and looked into his eyes. “Nice to meet you too, Varian. I am Y/N. I hope we get along well.” “I hope so, too.” His smile widened and then, slowly let go of my hand. I mustered him again, stopping at his hair streak. He looked up and started to smile again. “You probably wonder what this is?” he said, holding the streak up with his hand. I nodded. “Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know were I got that streak. Guess I was born with it. At least that's what my father told me.” He shrugged and let out a small laugh. I started to smile.

“Hey, Varian, why don't you tell Y/N what you are working on at the moment” Rapunzel suggested. “Great Idea, Rapunzel! Unless you don't want to know?” he answered, looking at Rapunzel at first, then shifting into my direction with a questioning expression. “Oh, I would love to hear what you are working on!” I answered with a huge smile on my face. Things like Alchemy had always been interesting topics to me. “Great!” Varian said, clapping his hands together. He indicated me to follow him to the back of the laboratory and than explained his newest researches. He tried inventing a new element, which could make the water heaters more efficient, and also was safer for the machines, since his old compound seemed to be too unstable. It was fascinating watching him explain every little detail he planed out and what work he already had done. I could feel how passionate he was when it came to his work. He phrased everything so that I could understand it without problems and made sure I knew what he was telling me. 

It was so interesting that I didn't even realize when Rapunzel left the room quietly and left the two of us alone. Only when a guard knocked at the door, stopping the conversation, we realized how late it had become. It was already dinner time, even though it felt not more than five minutes ago that I entered the laboratory with Rapunzel. We looked at each other and burst out laughing before hurrying towards the Dining room. It was one of the best meals I had in a long time, and I again felt enormous joy for finally fulfilling my dream. 

After the Dinner, everybody slowly said their goodbyes. Varian wished me a good night and smiled at me one last time before he excused himself to go home. Rapunzel helped me getting back to my room. “So, how was your first day? Kind of busy, right?” Rapunzel asked with a smile. “Definitely” I answered, letting out a tired sigh. “Well, then you better go to bed now, so you are well rested for your first day of work” Rapunzel replied. “Tomorrow morning, another handmaiden will come to help you find your workplace. Please wear the outfit we put in your room. It is the official handmaiden dress. And now, good night.” Rapunzel smiled at me once more, then she wandered off into the next corridor. 

I entered the room and let myself fall on the bed. It had been an extremely exhausting day. As I let myself sink into the pillows, I thought back on everything that had happened today. The princess, the king and queen, Eugene, Varian. The mass of emotions and memories that weren't mine. Varian's experiments. Then I thought of his teal streak. First, I sat up, looking at the mirror. Than, I stood up, walking towards it. I took my hair into my hand and moved it all to the left side of my head, revealing something I had nearly forgotten I had. I pulled out a small, teal colored streak, not matching the rest of my hair. My mother used to say I was born with it. I stood there, thinking about how on earth it was possible that Varian also was born with such a streak. I stood there for a few minutes before deciding that it was not the time to think about it. I put on my nightgown and went to bed. As I closed my eyes, I thought that it would be a even more exhausting day tomorrow, and I felt the sleepiness coming over me. One last thought of a teal streak and sky blue eyes crossed my mind, then I was asleep.


	5. Corona at night

I opened my eyes and sat up immediately. I breathed hard and looked around in panic, trying to focus on something that would take my mind off of what I had just seen. After a while, my breathing normalized and I slowly calmed down again. I remembered where I was.. the royal castle, in my bedroom. It had been just a dream. As I sighed in relief, I put my hands on my head and rubbed my temples in slow circular motions. “What was that?” I mumbled to myself, shaking my head soft and slowly. I looked out the window and sighted again. A cold shiver run down my whole body, while I remembered seeing Corona covered in snow and ice, everything was frozen, even the people inside their houses. I could still fell the coldness in my body, as I saw all of the people I cared for either frozen or hurt. I also remembered feeling enormous fear, grieve and.. guilt? 

I breathed deeply, trying to calm down again. Whatever that dream was, it sure wasn't normal. I laid back down, closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep again. It was in the middle of the night, as I could see the moon and some stars outside of my window. I twisted and turned, trying to make myself comfortable, but to no avail. Now, that I had been shaken awake by that dream, there was no way I could sleep again. Slowly, I slowly slipped out under the covers. I looked around, thinking of what I could do until morning and finally decided to write a letter to my father, giving him an update about everything that happened so far. I lit the candle on my nightstand and moved it to the desk. After a bit of searching, I found paper and a quill in one of the drawers, so I took the feather, dipped it into the ink and started to write. 

I wrote everything, from how I became the newest handmaiden, to all the people I met and all the places I had seen. I also wrote about what happened with Rapunzel, but kept the dream I had to myself. My father was kind of overprotective of me ever since my mother died, so I didn't want to worry him even more than he probably already was. Also, it had just been a dream, not a vision. I finished the letter and put the quill aside. The only remaining question was how to get the letter to my father. I hadn't seen any post wagons around, but maybe there was a post office somewhere. I looked out of the window again. The moon was already setting and most of the stars were gone, but it was still night. 

I started dressing myself, I wanted to take a walk in the morning hours in quiet, before everything got busy and crowded. Also, I could look for a post office easier. When I finished dressing me, I blew out the candle, took my small bag and put the sealed letter in it, then I left the room and locked the door. A night guard looked at me, probably wandering why I was up at that time, as I passed him in the corridor, but he didn't say anything, so I just nodded at him and walked away. I left the castle through the main gate, and a fresh breeze of night air greeted me on the outside. I breathed it right in and smiled. The quietness was calming and exactly what I needed right now. I got down the stairs and started wandering the streets of corona. 

I passed several small shops, two bakeries, a sweets shop, and many simple housings before finding a post office. It was rather small and inconspicuous, and I wouldn't have found it if I didn't get kind of lost after walking through all the small alleys and streets. When I finally found it, the sky above me was already colored in purple, and the moon and the stars were all gone. “Time to go back” I said to myself. I looked around, trying to see a tower top of the castle, or something familiar, but I couldn't see anything. “I should have waited until daytime, after all” I mumbled. I let out another sigh and started walking into the direction were I thought I came from. I went through a few more alleyways, only to find myself at the entrance to the forest that bordered the city. I was definitely wrong here, and at first, I simply wanted to turn around, but it felt if something was calling me towards it, waiting for me, and before I could even think about it, my body seemed to wander into the forest by itself.


End file.
